I am not the first writer, nor will I be the last to make the case for the legitimacy of comics and graphic novels as "real" reading.
- "Raising Super Readers: Benefits of Comic Books & Graphic Novels" from Scholastic
- "The Power of Comics" from the International Literacy Association
The reason I am writing about a topic that has been addressed by experts in reading and the ways our brains get involved in different types of reading is because even colleagues of my own, high school English teachers AND librarians sometimes still want to debate if students are really benefiting when they read comics and other graphic works, which leads them to forbid graphic stories as choice or free reading in the classroom. I believe this is harmful to students who need opportunities to read what they choose rather than what has been assigned.
Let's start with the difference between comics and graphic novels:
from "The Power of Comics" -
"Stylistically, comics and graphic novels are very similar. Comic books are usually about 24 pages and are released in single issues usually once or twice a month. These individual books often form an ongoing story that spans several issues. Like TV shows, they are published regularly and collected in what are called trades. Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Bone are all popular examples of comics.
Graphic novels are basically longer versions of comics. Usually, graphic novels tell one full story and can be a couple hundred pages long. Examples include Amulet, The Witch Boy, and Smile."
There is also a fabulous book called Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, who is a graphic novelist, in which he covers in great detail how visual communication works and the ways in which artists use pictures and words to convey meaning.
When I began reading comics, my first was the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman. The series was published between 1989-1996, but I did not read any of them until they were complete and I could get them in trade paperback form. I like reading comics this way because I am not usually able to acquire the next installment every month and fall behind. I would prefer to read them quickly to remember the story line. The books tell the story of Dream and his fellow Endless: Destiny, Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, and Destruction.
I am glad I began here because these are considered a triumph in cartooning. The series won more than 26 Eisner Awards among many others. Gaiman wrote the story but a variety of artists were brought in for the visuals. This means that each comic book or chapter in the story has a different look. This makes it vital for the reader to closely engage with the art to see and "read" details important to the story.
While visual literacy is one of the reasons comics are good for the brain, it is also where I stumbled when I first began reading. I start by reading just the words and skipping the pictures, assuming I was getting the gist of it, but I wasn't. Facial expressions, gestures, and other body language as well as background details were telling parts of the story that I was missing. It took little time for me to slow down and modify my reading style to engage fully with the story.
I have continued to read the work of Gaiman, but have added other comics. Some of my favorites have been
- Saga by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples
- Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
- Giant Days by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, Max Sarin, Whitney Cogar, and Jim Campbell
- Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona with a changing group of additional authors
- Rat Queens by Kurtis J. Wiebe, Roc Upchurch, and John Upchurch
Some of these are teen friendly but most are for an adult audience.
When choosing graphic novels to read, I focus on those I have or will order for my high school library.
Some of my favorite authors are:
Some recent favorite books are:
Hey Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka, which is a graphic memoir and was a National Book Award finalist
The March Trilogy by Rep. John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell, which has won Coretta Scott King awards as well as a Robert F. Kennedy book award among others. The idea for Lewis to write about his experiences at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was prompted by "Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story," a comic published in 1957.
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson, a book I enjoyed but is beloved by my 10-year-old niece
New Kid by Jerry Craft, which was the winner of the Newbery Medal, Coretta Scott King Author Award, and Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and Emily Carroll, which is a graphic version of Anderson's 1999 novel of the same name. It is powerful reading for any teen.
It would take a novella for me to list and discuss all of the graphic novels I have read over the years, but I believe it is an important format for readers because of the need to visual literacy skills when we are surrounded by images in the news and social media.
What are your favorite comics or graphic novels?
